Tagged
by TwiAddictAnne
Summary: By nature, all male species want to mark their territories. It's in their nature to try to keep their female safe and tag them as theirs. I wasn't an exception … until her. She drove me crazy. She tagged me as hers. And in return, I gave her my heart. All human. Rated for adult themes.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended. Any recognizable entities aren't mine, everything else is the sole property of Anne Publishing House. ;)**

 **A/N: Hi, my lovely readers! *Waves* This is a flash fic I'm writing in honor of the birth month of one of the sweetest souls in this fandom, Shae Maen, who also happens to be my twify. Happy Birthday, E. I hope this brightens up your day. Love you, Beebeejee. xox**

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 **Chapter-1: Prologue**

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A tag.

A label.

A mark.

To most people, all it was just a piece of metal.

To my fellow brethren, it was the way back home.

But to me? To me, it was everything I was.

Until that moment.

The moment, she entered my life, _she_ became everything to me.

And this piece of metal was what promised to keep me tethered to her even halfway across the world.

Leaning down, I pressed a soft kiss on my slumbering beauty's forehead. Then, with conviction burning within me, I picked up my bag and walked out the door.

* * *

 **A/N: Share your thoughts with me and leave a review.**

 **The chapter lengths will vary between 500-700 words each from here on. The posting schedule for now is Mondays and Thursdays until I finish writing and then maybe more frequent updates. :)**

 **Thanks for reading. Be sure to wish Ms. Birthday Girl a happy birthday.**

 **See you tomorrow with Revised Curriculum.**

 **Take care.**

 **Ann**


	2. Chapter-2: Land of Ruins

**A/N: Hi, my sweets. Your response to this little fic of mine has floored me. Thank you for your support.**

 **Before we dive into this story, a few housekeeping notes: this story features description of violence (not domestic violence). So if that's a trigger for you, I suggest you proceed with caution.**

 **Also, this is a story with MarineWard, and I suck at intensive research. So even though I** _ **have**_ **done my research on the US Marine Corps., I request you to bear with me because I'll be taking a lot of liberties in this story. I assure you, none of it is meant to be disrespectful of any entities.**

 **And Shae, I love you, beebeejee. ;)**

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 **Chapter-2: Land of Ruins**

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 _I don't like it. I know I should be supportive of you, and I am. It's just … I miss you, honey. I admire how brave you are, Edward. Every time I miss you and want to get mad at you for leaving, I remember the reason why you left; and I end up loving you even more. I am so proud of you._

 _I love you, Edward. Always._

Something constricted in my heart, making me feel like I couldn't breathe. I reread the last line of her email again.

 _I love you, Edward. Always._

Three months two weeks four days and seven hours. That's how long has passed since I had received this email from my mom. It was right before I was being sent to this mission in one of the villages in the outskirts of Tikrit. I had to haul ass before I could respond to her. With the lack of secure connections, I hadn't been able to reply to her since.

 _She must be worried sick_ , I thought, holding the now crumpled printout of her last email.

 _Maybe tomorrow we'll get the word to return to base_ , I hoped like I did everyday.

The sound of heavy footfalls alerted me to a possible visitor. I hid the email printout inside the file in front of me and looked up in time to see a young man striding into the tent. His voice resonated strong as he greeted me. "Good morning, Staff Sergeant. I have a message for you from Sergeant Major Denali."

I gave him a nod. "Good morning to you too, Private. What's the message?"

"He has requested you to pay him a visit, sir."

Immediately, I stood up. I didn't question why I was being summoned because it was the United States Marine Corps. Here, you don't ask questions; you simply follow orders. After thanking the young marine, I walked out of the tent I was sharing with two of my comrades and went to receive my orders.

Once I was in Sergeant Major Eleazar Denali's office, I saw that I'm the only one there. He smiled at me when he greeted me, putting my nerves at ease. "Staff Sergeant, I have an additional responsibility to handout and I thought you'd be the perfect man for the job," he said to me.

"Additional job, sir?" I asked, raising an eyebrow in silent curiosity.

"Yes," he responded with a slight nod. "I know it will probably piss off Whitlock or McCarty to do this. So I'm giving this one to you." He regarded me for a moment before continuing. "A photojournalist from the New York Times is coming in today to take pictures of the warzone. You'll be in charge of their safety."

My eyes widened as soon as his words registered in my mind. However, before I could voice my concerns, he held up a hand to stop me and said, "Babysitting a civilian sucks when you're in a warzone, I know, but the American people needs to know what's happening out here. So we'll have to accommodate one person ... for a week."

"Seven days?" I repeated in shock. "That's a long time to take a few snaps of the war, Sir."

His mouth lifted at one side in a half smile and he nodded. "I told that to my superior. Want to know what he said the journalist told him when he asked the same question?"

"What?"

"Perfection takes time," he replied with a smile. "The photojournalist will be arriving at our campsite at thirteen hundred hours."

Realizing that I was being dismissed, I took a step back and said, "I'll take care of it, sir."

I was almost at the door when he spoke again. "Oh, and Staff Sergeant? The journalist's name is Isa."

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 **A/N: So thoughts? Share them with me and leave a review.**

 **Thanks for reading.**

 **This story is simultaneously being posted in my collaborative blog with my muse for this story, Shae Maen. Do check out scribbleralliance, our wordpress blog if you can.**

 **See you on Thursday.**

 **Stay safe and keep smiling.**

 **Ann**


	3. Chapter-3: Emergence

**A/N: Ready for more MarineWard? Enjoy!**

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 **Chapter-3: Emergence**

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"Staff Sergeant, there's an unidentified female at the camp."

I didn't even look up from my work at the sound of PFC Newton's voice. Figuring what, or rather who, an _unidentified female_ will want to meet with at an USMC camp, I said, "Go and get Lance Corporal Black. I'm sure she's here for him. After his _guest_ leaves, tell him to come and see me." It was time I told Black to stop badgering the local females. We certainly didn't need any additional animosity from the locals.

PFC Newton didn't leave after receiving his orders though. His hovering made me look up and ask, "Anything else, Private?"

He looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here as he answered me. "Sir, she is asking for _you_." Seeing my expression of shock, he hastened to add, "She's not a local."

 _Not a local?_

As if he could read the confusion on my face, he explained. "She's an American."

 _An American? Here, in the middle of war-riddled country?_

I frowned before reluctantly asking him to show the woman to my tent.

* * *

"See? I told you he's expecting me." I heard a woman's voice say right outside my tent. The voice sounded hauntingly familiar.

Standing up, I walked forward to greet whoever this woman was, the sound of her voice making me remember a dream from a long forgotten time.

I stopped to take a breath before lifting the flap of my tent.

"Sir!" I heard PFC Newton salute me and then introducing his companion. "This is Ms. Isabella Swan, a photojournalist with The New York Times. She says you're expecting her."

She lifted her face to meet my eyes, a honey-sweet smile gracing her lips as she held out her hand for me. "Staff Sergeant Cullen, it's nice to meet you," she said.

One moment.

For one long moment, I stared at her. Angry, no, furious at the circumstances life had thrown at me. "Newton, please arrange for a tent for Ms. _Isa_ to settle in," I said after taking in a deep breath.

Then, without sparing her another glance, I walked away.

* * *

 **A/N: Thoughts? Share them with me and leave a review.**

 **Thanks for reading.**

 **See you soon.**

 **Stay safe.**

 **Ann**


	4. Chapter-4: Messy Business

**A/N: Hi! Sorry for late update. RL happened. :(**

 **Before we continue, I'd like to apologize for a little typo in the second chapter. Isabella is a photojournalist with the New York Times, not Seattle. It's now fixed.**

 **Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter-4: Messy Business**

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The moment he stepped into the mess hall, his eyes found her.

There she stood, with her back resting against a tent pole and a smile on her lips as she talked animatedly to Seth Clearwater, a Lance Corporal on his first deployment. It's in the unwritten rule book of marine instructors to be unbiased toward their subordinates. Being the stickler for Marine Corps Code, Edward had always followed that to a T. Until that moment.

The moment he saw the brunette beauty standing there with her eyes sparkling with mirth and her hand resting on Seth's arm, it felt like all he could see was red. He wished he could tear Clearwater limb from limb just for being the one to share her smiles.

As if it wasn't enough, something the witless wonder said made her laugh out loud. Not being able to hold in his unreasonable anger, Edward called out, "Clearwater!"

Like magic, Seth straightened up, his back stiff as a board as he responded to him. "Yes, Sir!"

Edward approached the duo, the sound of his boots hitting the ground ringing loud in his own ears. When he was standing in front of them, he looked at Seth, completely ignoring his companion. "Have you forgotten what day it is, Lance Corporal?"

"Monday, Sir," he answered.

"And whose turn is it in the guard duty tonight?"

"Black and mine, Sir."

"Then you'd do well to stop chatting up strangers and get your ass into gear in time for your shift, Marine!" Even after knowing full well that he was just talking to her, Edward couldn't help but respond to the anger coursing through his body.

"Sir!" the boy younger to him said, offering him a salute and walking away.

A sick satisfaction ran through Edward as he watched Clearwater walk away without even daring to look back at her.

"Am I really a stranger?"

His moment of male pride evaporated by the sound of the soft spoken question. Despite having no intention of facing her, he turned around. "Excuse me?" he asked, purposefully playing dumb.

She moved away from the tent wall then. "I asked," she repeated. "Am I really a stranger?"

"Oh!" He exclaimed, raising an eyebrow in surprise. "I didn't know you and Lance Corporal Clearwater knew each other."

Her eyes narrowed as she stood up straighter. "I didn't know _him_ until an hour ago," she said. "I was talking about _us_. I thought _we_ knew each other."

He blinked at her blatantly bringing up the past.

"I guess I thought wrong," she added after a moment. "The Edward I knew would never consider me a stranger."

That made him clench his jaw. "Sadly, Miss _Isa_ , the Edward you knew doesn't exist anymore," he responded in a hard voice.

"So I see," she whispered before walking away, leaving him feeling worse than before.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you for reading. Share your thoughts with me and leave a review.**

 **If you're interested in poetry, do check out my collaborative wordpress blog with Shae Maen, ScribblerAlliance for poems written by Shae as well as yours truly. You can find the link to the blog on my profile.**

 **See you tomorrow with Revised Curriculum update.**

 **Take care and stay safe.**

 **Ann**


	5. Chapter-5: Through The Looking Glass

**A/N: A long chapter ahead, people. So you better fasten your seatbelts. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter-5: Through The Looking Glass**

* * *

 _Mid-summer Chicago, Seven years ago_

* * *

She ran her fingers through my unruly hair, no doubt loving the feeling of it in all its chaotic glory as she always had.

Closing my eyes, I let out a sigh of contentment. _This is life_ , I think.

"Edward?" she asked in that sweet voice of hers.

Without opening my eyes, I answered, "Yes, baby?"

"What are your plans for the future?"

I felt his eyebrows pull together at the unexpectedness of her question. "What do you mean?" I asked, opening an eye, still relishing the feeling of lying on the soft freshly mown grass of my parents' backyard with my head on her lap.

"I mean," she clarified. "What are your plans for your future? For _our_ future?"

For a moment, I wondered what was making her ask these questions and then shrugged before answering to her. "My future is with you," I said simply, loving the way the corners of her lips turned upward at that.

"And what do you see in our future?" she persisted after a second.

"What's there to see?" I asked, starting to get irritated by her repeated questioning now. All I had wanted to do that afternoon was enjoy some quiet time with my girl, but it looked like she had some other plans. "I'll join Dad's business after graduation next month and then we'll get married," I said.

"And what about my career?" she asked. "And yours? Don't you want to be someone other than Carlisle Cullen's son?"

That got my attention. Sitting up straight, I frowned at her. "Bella, what's up with you today? Why are you asking these questions all of a sudden?"

The apples of her cheeks reddened. "I've been offered a job as a photojournalist," she admitted at last.

Instantly, I felt my heart expand with pride for my girl. Pulling her into my arms, I kissed the top of her head. "That's amazing, baby. I'm so proud of you."

Bella squirmed out of my embrace, her eyes downcast.

"Baby, what is it?" I asked.

"The job ..." She stopped to take a deep breath before continuing. "It's not here in Chicago, Edward. It's in Seattle."

The ridiculousness of the situation made me snort. "That's crazy!" I said, words leaving my mouth without any forethought. "You can't take it. All my dad's business is here. So we'll have to stay here."

Something in her eyes flashed at that. "What do you mean I _can't_ take it?" she asked sharply. "It's _my_ life. I get to choose what I want to do with it."

"Bella," I said softly as if attempting to reason with a wounded beast. "With my dad's money all being mine, you won't have to work at all."

She gasped. "You can't possibly expect me to be a trophy wife!" she exclaimed. "You know how much hard honest work means to my family, Edward; and you know how much this job means to me. I've worked my ass off to be class valedictorian so that I can get the best of opportunities. Now that I have, you want me to just drop it all?"

I felt the anger I had tried to push away rising again. "Why do you always have to be the one to have it all?" I spat out. "Is it because of your dad's death? Is this stemming from some kind of daddy issues?"

Before I could continue putting my foot in my mouth, she stood up, her hands balled up into tight fists and tears of anger running down her rosy cheeks. "You think _I_ have daddy issues?" she snapped back at me. "Who's the one who hates his dad for never being there for him and yet _loves_ to spend all his father's money? You know what? You're a fucking hypocrite, Edward Cullen. And if you were strong like you pretend to be, you'd do something to prove yourself, not hide under daddy's safety net to provide for you like a weakling!" With these words, she turned around and stomped away from me.

"Damn it, Bella!" I swore and stood up to follow her, but when she held out a hand to stop me, I complied and watched her walk away from me … from the dream of a life we had both dreamed of together.

* * *

 **** ** _Tikrit, Iraq, Present Day_**

* * *

The sound of a soft knock brought me out of my riverie. "Edward?" The sound of her voice calling my name made me remember a time when she used to say my name over and over as I drove into her soft body, making her mine. "May I come in?"

"Yes," my reply was curt; my voice coming out a little strained because of the sudden tightening of my fatigue pants.

The tent flap lifted, revealing a jeans and T-shit wearing Isabella Swan. She smiled that little self-conscious smile I had known by heart once and stepped in. She walked up to me, making me step back until my back was pressed against the writing desk in the tent.

"Hi."

"Hey."

She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and said, "I wanted to say that I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"For us starting off on the wrong foot yesterday. Seth is a sweet boy, but we're just friends ..."

I lifted a hand to stop her in mid-sentence, deciding that nonchalance was the better than jealousy based on years old love. "Look Bella, it's been what? Seven years since we were anything? So don't worry about it. You're perfectly free to screw whoever you want."

Her eyes narrowed into slits at my words. For a moment, it looked like she might march out of the tent or sucker punch me, but of course she surprised me like she always had, and instead of running away, she stepped closer, getting into me face. "Screw _you_ , Edward Cullen!" she said in a slow and deliberate voice. "You were an asshole seven years ago and you still are one. And I fucking hate you."

As she turned around to leave, something snapped in me. Unlike the last time, I wasn't letting her get away from me. So grabbing her wrist, I tugged hard, making her fall right into my arms.

Taking her chin in my hand, I whispered, "Prove it," and then, I pressed my lips to hers.

* * *

 **A/N: Does that answer some questions? We still have some way to go. So hang in there, people.**

 **I'd love to hear your thoughts on this fic. So leave a review, maybe?**

 **Thank you for reading.**

 **Shae, I hope you're enjoying this, babes.**

 **Stay safe.**

 **Ann**


	6. Chapter-6: War of The Worlds

**A/N: This chapter contains sensitive materials that might be construed as triggers for some. So approach with caution.**

* * *

 **Chapter-6: War of The Worlds**

* * *

For a moment, I felt her hands push hard against my chest. She mumbled something against my lips, spiking the anger burning inside me even more.

The green monster of jealousy took hold of me then, and grabbing her wrists in one of my hands, I pulled her head back with the other, angling her mouth to fit more closely to mine.

When she didn't try to push me away again, I licked her lips, needing to taste her once more, but she clamped her lips shut, refusing to let me in.

I felt my lips pull up at the corners in a smirk. _You wanna play, baby girl?_ I asked her heart silently. _Alright. Let's play._

Instead of trying to forcing my tongue to meet hers, I started to tease her lips with my own. I kissed her top lip and then the bottom. I nibbled at the plump bottom lip of hers, loving how it tasted just like I had remembered. I was going to drive her insane with want if this kiss was all I could get.

Slowly, I felt her body relax against me. I slackened my restraint on her then. When she slipped her arms around my neck, I couldn't take it anymore. My baby girl was trying to beat me at my own game.

Grabbing either sides of her hips, I turned around, perching her sweet ass on top of my desk. With my hands on her knees, I spread them wider before stepping in between them, my lips never leaving hers.

The moment our hips met, a soft moan left her lips and that's all I needed to slide my tongue inside her mouth. Our tongues touched once … then again … and then, it felt like a fire had been lit inside us.

I felt her hands pull on my fatigue shirt to bring me closer to her, and then it was _my_ Bella who was kissing me, not the stern professional journalist Isabella.

Through the haze of passion, the distant sound of a siren rang in my mind. _Fuck!_

"Baby ..." I breathed in her mouth. "I have to go."

With admirable self control I had instilled in myself in the past seven years of service, I stepped away from her and started to walk away. However before I could leave, I felt her hand grab my wrist. "Please be careful," she whispered.

A soft smile was all I could offer her before walking away.

* * *

"Absolutely not!" I roared. "She's a civilian!"

"Remember who you're talking to, Staff Sergeant!"

At the tone of warning in Sergeant Major Denali's voice, I shut my mouth before something disrespectful escaped me. Taking in a deep breath, I tried again, "With all due respect, Sir, I believe she's not prepared for this."

 _No one can be._

"That's where you're wrong, Cullen," Eleazar said. "Ms. Swan assures me that she has been trained to withstand the rough terrain."

"She doesn't know what she's talking about!" I huffed, remembering how she had nearly fainted once at the sight of blood trickling out of a little paper cut on her own hand back in high school. "A land mine has blown off, Sir," I said at last. "We don't know the casualties yet. Do you think she should be allowed to accompany us on the search and rescue?"

Eleazar nodded. "It's what she's here for, isn't it?" he barked. "So let the girl see what war looks like."

When Eleazar left, my eyes found her immediately. There, huddled next to Lance Corporal Emily Young, stood my Bella. The stubborn set of her chin was visible to me despite all the protective gears on her.

As if she could feel my eyes on her, she turned her head. Our eyes met for a moment.

 _Are you sure about this?_ I asked with my eyes.

 _I'm ready,_ she answered with a slight nod of her head.

 _Be careful_ , I urged.

 _Ditto,_ her eyes said with a blink.

* * *

Smoke.

Black smoke rose from the area marked on the map lying on my lap as we neared the site of our search and rescue mission.

"Stay with the car, Newton," I ordered as I got down from my seat, Emmett and Jasper coming up to get my flanks immediately.

The three of us started to lead the men forward, looking around for any sign of danger in the vicinity.

"What was this place?" Emmett asked after a pause in hushed voice, obviously having not heard a single word of Eleazar's briefing a little while ago.

With a shake of my head, I let Jasper know that I wasn't feeling up to rebriefing Emmett because he had been busy daydreaming about Rosalie to be attentive in the briefing session.

Jasper sighed and started speaking in a soft voice. "This used to be a residential area," he said before pointing to a ruin of a building with smoke still coming out of it. "See there? According to the map Sergeant Major Denali showed us, that's where the local school used to be."

Emmett cursed softly at that. "Fucking assholes! Couldn't they leave the innocent lives alone?"

"If they did, there wouldn't be any wars to fight," Jasper answered. "It's protecting the innocent lives that matter."

"Tell that to Miss Journalist here," Emmett said, tilting his head to the side. "She pretty much tried to burn me like kindling with her eyes when I suggested that she stay back at camp."

At the mention of her, I turned around to see her. I didn't know what I had expected to see, but it certainly wasn't this. The delicate Bella I used to know and love was nowhere to be seen, instead there stood a professional photojournalist who was braving the smoke and possibility of blood and mangled bodies and taking pictures after pictures of anything and everything her eyes found.

It's the sound of a small groan that made everyone stop in their tracks. In that moment, I could swear I could feel my heart try to beat its way out of my chest.

The sound came again.

"I think someone's in the ruins," I whispered at last, motioning my men to follow me.

Stealthily we all moved like a synchronized group. From the corners of my eyes, I saw her falling in step behind me with all the marines. With my rifle held in position, I rounded the corner and then stopped short at the sight before me.

There, with his back pressed against the wall of the wreckage, sat a little boy of not more than five. His clothes and skin looked singed and blackened with soot. Blood trickled down his face from a deep gash across his left cheek and one of his hands looked oddly bent like it was fractured with bits of bone sticking out of it. But that wasn't the worst of it. The boy was huddled over a body … or what's left of it … as if he was protecting it.

Someone gasped from behind Emmett.

And then, before anyone could do anything to stop her, Isabella Swan and my Bella merged into one as I saw her running toward the injured child who even battered and broken, was trying to protect his dead mother's body with his weak little arms.

And that's when I fell in love with her once more.

* * *

 **A/N: So … thoughts? Share them with me and leave a review.**

 **Thanks for reading.**

 **See you with Revised Curriculum soon.**

 **Stay safe.**

 **Ann**


	7. Chapter-7: Crazy, Stupid Love

**A/N: Hiya, awesome peeps! How's life treating you? I've got a LONG chappie here for you. So … check your seatbelts and we're a go! ;)**

* * *

 **Chapter-7: Crazy, Stupid Love**

* * *

After having seen to it that the little boy they had found in the ruins, Habib, is taken cared of and that Eleazar wasn't going to chew her head off for breaking ranks, I approached the tent assigned to our guest of honor, aka, Isabella Swan.

I raised my hand to knock but stopped midway when a memory from long ago rose to the surface of my mind.

* * *

Stepping on the brakes of my shiny red Ferrari, I jumped out of the car. The sight of a U-Haul stacked with boxes made me frown.

 _Bella didn't say she was to have visitors_ , I thought, wondering who might be visiting her mom as I approached the front porch.

I didn't have to wonder for long though. The moment I saw Bella hugging her mother, Reneé, tightly as the older woman cried earnestly, I just knew.

I knew that I was late … that our fight a few days back had not been a silly nightmare like I had hoped.

In the past few days Bella hadn't spoken to me, I had told myself that everything will be fine; that once her anger cooled down, my Bella will be back in my arms again.

Apparently, I had been dead wrong.

"Bella?" I asked. "What's this?"

At the sound of my voice, she let go of her mother and looked at me. The utter dejection in her eyes made me reach out for her. But she stepped away.

"Bella?"

She lifted a hand to wipe away the tears that had been ceaselessly trailing down her cheeks. Moving away from her mother, she approached me cautiously. "I am leaving, Edward."

Four words.

Four simple words was what brought my world crashing down.

"What?" I asked when I could speak again. "That doesn't make any sense."

"I took the job, Edward. I'm going to Seattle," she answered as if each word she spoke wasn't landing another blow on our suddenly very fragile relationship. "Once I settle in, I'll bring mom to me. So I guess this is goodbye."

"Goodbye?" I repeated dumbly. For a moment, I didn't speak and then, my anger exploded within myself. "Are you out of your fucking mind, Bella? What the hell do you think you're doing?"

She held up a hand as if to calm me down. "I'm pursuing my dreams," she answered. "Like I already told you."

"And what of _us_? _Our_ dreams?" I challenged. "Or have you decided to throw them away just for your career? You say you love me, but look how easily you're leaving me!"

Suddenly, I felt like a little boy who had just lost his favorite toy.

Tears welled up in her eyes again. "I wanted you to come with me. I knew you could've found a good job there, but you didn't want to. You didn't want to leave the comfortable life at home to dream with me, Edward. All you wanted was to stay sheltered under your father's wings. I do love you … I'll always love you. And even though I love you, I can't be with someone who doesn't respect himself enough to want to be his own person. I want to fly, Edward, and I need someone who dares to fly with me."

She stepped forward to place a kiss on my cheek and then walked away to where Reneé stood, leaving me with a bleeding heart.

* * *

Anger, hurt and loss hit me anew as I forced the memory of the darkest moment of my life away from my mind. I started to turn away from her door, thinking she would want to be alone when a sniffle sounded from within.

The idea of Bella ... my Bella … crying made all those old hurt and insecurities go away in a flash, and before I knew it, I was knocking on her door. The door opened immediately to reveal an obviously crying Bella with red-rimmed eyes.

Reflexively, I held out my arms only to have her throw herself in them with her face hidden in my chest.

Her hands held me clutched to her as she cried in my arms; the sound of her sobs twisting my heart painfully. Placing a hand to cup her head, I asked softly, "Bella? What is it?"

She moved away to look into my eyes then. "That place ..." she said in between hiccups. "And that little boy ..."

I moved my hand to hold her cheek. "He's safe now. He's with Seth. He's eaten and the last time I checked, he was sleeping soundly," I tried to assure her.

"And what about you?"

Her question made me frown. "What about me?"

She reached behind me to grab the nape of my neck. "How can _you_ stand it? I can't imagine my sweet boy in the middle of this bloodbath."

A sardonic laugh left me. "Is that concern I detect, Miss Swan? Don't worry about me. The _boy_ you're talking about doesn't exist anymore."

I stepped back from her, wanting to get away from her before her tears brought me to my knees like they always did.

Apparently, she wasn't having any of that. "I don't believe that," she said, stepping forward to match my movement. "No matter how much of a hardened marine you pose as, you still are my Edward."

"No, I'm not ..." the words got stopped in my throat when I felt her lips on mine.

"Kiss me," she murmured against my shocked lips. "Kiss me, damn it!"

Her hands moved to tug on my hair, driving me crazy like they used to and making me snap out of it. As if out of their own volition, my hands went to her hips, pressing her body to mine as I kissed her hard.

The moment her fingers reached for my shirt, I stiffened, but she wrapped an arm around my waist then. "Don't stop, please," she whimpered. "Please, Edward ..."

I didn't. I let her pull off my shirt and then cupped her face in my hand. "Are you sure?" I asked, needing her answer before I went off the deep end.

"Yes," she breathed. "I love you, please. I've always loved you."

That was all it took for my control to snap. After making sure the entrance to her tent was secured, I pretty much attacked her. My hands seemed to have a mind of their own as they pulled and pushed at her clothes, needing to feel her skin on mine.

Bella wasn't helping the situation either. She grabbed my hand and pulled me with her to the bed sitting there looking very inviting all of a sudden.

The moment our skins touched, it felt like the smoldering embers of our feelings had been set on fire and we were both burning in that fiery passion.

* * *

 **A/N: So … thoughts?**

 **Share them with me and leave a review.**

 **Thanks for reading.**

 **Ohh and I'm donating the first eight chapters of my new flashfic, Escape My Love, to the Fandom Against Domestic Violence. I'd love for you to donate to this timeworthy initiative, if you can. The link for donating is here:**

 **Fundraisers . fanaticfanfics . com**

 **See you later.**

 **Stay safe.**

 **Love,**

 **Ann**


	8. Chapter-8: Mine

**A/N: Hi, my dear readers. How are you? Here it is … the chapter I had been waiting for you to read. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter-8: Mine**

* * *

When you wake up with the only woman you've ever loved in your arms, there are a number of things you expect to be the first thing she tells you. What I heard, however, was none of the things I could dream up.

"I'm leaving tonight."

My eyes snapped open at her declaration. "But I thought you had a few more days?" I asked, hating how much it hurt to imagine her gone even though I despised seeing her in this godforsaken place.

She reached out to run a finger along my forehead, silently reminding me that I was frowning. "Eleazar was fuming mad at me for what I did yesterday. He talked to Carmen, my editor in chief, and said that I was a threat to all of his marines here," she said, the hurt plain in her voice even with the way she rolled her eyes.

"You could've been killed yesterday," I said at last, finally letting the idea of what could've happened get to me.

"Not you too!"

I grabbed the hand resting on my chest and said softly, "Bella, you do know it could've been a trap, don't you? And if it was, we all could've been dead by now."

"I'm sorry," she whispered, giving my hand a little squeeze. "I couldn't think. All I could see is that little boy all alone."

 _All alone._

I sighed, suddenly remembering how we had gone our different ways before.

"Will you tell me what happened?"

The sound of her voice brought me out of one of the darkest moments of my life. "What do you mean?"

She looked at me closely. "Edward, when I took this job, the last thing I expected was to find you here in the battlefield. I thought you'd be the CEO of your dad's company or something like that by now. You seemed so sure of your future seven years ago. What changed?"

"You," I replied simply. "Or rather, I did, I suppose. When you left me standing in your driveway, something inside me changed. Suddenly, I hated everything I had planned for my life because that life felt so fucking lonely without you next to me. The day after you left, I went to my dad and told him that I wanted to get a real job … something meaningful."

"You did?" The tone of surprise in her voice only reminded me how much of a spoiled brat I used to be back then.

I nodded. "Carlisle laughed in my face. He said I couldn't make a life for myself without his money to support me."

Her hand tightened in mine. "What did you do?"

"Told him to go fuck himself," I replied with a grin, recalling the look of shock and anger in my father's arrogant mug. "Then I joined the Corps."

"Just like that?" she asked.

"Just like that," I repeated and then laughed a little. "I was actually driving away to get my frustration out when I saw the billboard with the recruitment ad for the Corps. That's when I realized that the best thing I can do with my life is to make sure I can save as many lives as possible."

"Have you … killed ... people?"

Her question made me laugh sardonically. "It's kill or be killed here, baby. So I gotta take down the bad guys so the good guys can be safe."

She placed a hand on my jaw, making me meet her eyes when she asked, "Did you get injured in combat?"

I shrugged, not sure how to tell her that I had almost died from a landmine blast just a few months back.

"I didn't see any scars last night ..."

I tapped the tip of her nose playfully. "You were a bit preoccupied last night, babygirl."

She blushed before asking softly, "Will you show me?"

I complied, albeit reluctantly, but she proved my hesitance was unwarranted. Every scar she saw on my body, she placed a kiss there, as if she could kiss the pain away. And no matter how cheesy it sounds, it worked. No, it didn't feel like she was healing me, rather, it was as if the scars were never there in the first place.

This time when she climbed on top of me, we both took the time to learn each other once more … to rediscover what we had forgotten.

* * *

It wasn't until I had returned from patrolling later that day when a thought hit me with the weight of a thousand bricks.

 _It's been seven years since we were together. What if she has found someone else? What if she had a life of her own now?_

As if she could hear my thoughts, that was the exact moment I heard her voice call my name from outside my tent.

"Edward?"

"Bella?" At my answering call, she walked in, dressed in jeans and the t-shirt I left in her tent that morning.

"Hey," she greeted me with a smile, walking up to sit on my lap. "I'm almost ready to leave. Can I take this with me? Please?" she asked, tugging at the hem of the shirt she had on.

I frowned. _What does this mean?_ "You want to take my shirt with you?" I asked dumbly.

She nodded, biting her lip like in the olden days. "Since I can't take you with me yet, I'll have to make do with this."

"Bella," I started, feeling like an awkward teenager about to ask out the girl he's been crushing on once more. "Do you …? That is to say are you …? Fuck! I'll just ask it. Are you dating someone right now?"

She was silent for a moment before saying, "Technically … no."

Like the trained marine I was, my mind zoned into the bit that mattered. "Technically?"

"Yes," she responded slowly. "You see, there's this guy I love … always have, but he belongs to the United States right now. So until he finishes his duty to the country and comes back home to me, I can't go out on a date with him."

"You … you mean ..."

She didn't let me finish as she leaned in to kiss my lips softly. "Yes, if you'll still have me," she murmured against my lips before moving back a little. "Edward, I want to apologize for the way I left you. You told me how my leaving affected you. And you know what? Without you there with me, I didn't have anyone to share my life with. I turned into this robot, going through the motions of life. That's why I was given this job because I've become a heartless bitch. But then, you happened, and it felt like I was alive again for the first time in seven years."

I saw the tears shining in her eyes and couldn't help but kiss her once again. We sat together like that for a long time until an alarm beeped from her wrist watch. "I should get going," she said, starting to climb out of my lap.

"Just a minute," I said, jumping into action and going to search my bags for one of my most cherished belongings. When I had it in my hand, I walked back to her and pointed to the dog tags hanging from my neck. "Do you know what this is?" I asked.

"It's your identification, isn't it?" she asked, looking puzzled. "It holds a soldier's serial number, family name and first name, according to what I know."

I nodded. "Yes, it's our way back home in case something happens to us." Before she could say anything, I opened my palm to show her the shiny silver tags sitting there. "These were my tags from my first deployment."

She reached out to touch the spot with my name on it and said, "Must be very special."

"They are special, but so are you," I replied. "I want you to take them as a promise from me to you. I promise to get back home to you, Bella Swan."

She let out a shuddering breath, placing her hand on mine. "Put them on me?"

* * *

That day, in the dim glow of twilight, I bade the woman I loved goodbye as I watched her clutch onto the piece of metals resting in between her breasts now, marking her as _mine_.

* * *

 **A/N: So …. Thoughts?**

 **Share them with me and leave a review.**

 **Thanks for reading.**

 **Take care.**

 **Ann**


	9. Take A Stand Against Domestic Violence

Hi, my sweet readers! Hope you're all doing great. This post is about something important and very close to my heart. Many of you who follow my fanfics, might know that I was going to donate eight chapters of a new story to the Fandoms Against Domestic Violence charity event. Well, as it happens, I had to pull my contribution because the event seemed like a power showdown by some narcissistic ladies who thought it was acceptable to be rude to the contributing authors who had been donating their time, words and most of all ... a part of their heart to this cause. After being personally harassed and attacked with violence by means of the words from the admins of the FADV event, I felt like I would be tainting my words by associating with them ... not the cause ... just the people who were using it as a medium to revel in a false sense of power that our, the writers', words gave them.

However, I still wanted to donate to this just cause. So myself along with a few author friends are going to piece our contribution stories together and offer it to anyone who donates to the Domestic Violence cause.

Below you will find the teaser for a first look at my brand new story, Escape My Love, along with teasers from the other authors who stand with me in this fight against domestic violence. Full stories will be included with Escape My Love in a PDF.

We want our stories to benefit the cause we wrote it for. If ANY of you have already donated, please notify my friend April via PM or direct email. Her email address is the number eighty-nine (89) and her FF name (fyrebyrd) at gmail dot com. You will automatically receive this additional collection of 5 stories.

For those who haven't donated yet, or perhaps weren't going to donate, maybe you'll reconsider. We're planning to have this PDF ready to send on Nov 14 to anyone who donates or has already donated. There is no minimum, and the only requirement is that it be a Domestic Violence cause. Just donate and send a picture of the receipt or confirmation email at the email address above, so that we will have an avenue to send the PDF out to you.

Please consider donating to this worthy cause. Now, without further ado … here are teasers to the included stories … and any author reading this who wishes to add something is welcome to join us in this little endeavour of ours. Enjoy! :)

 **Sharp Left Turn Outtake by Fyrebyrd**

 **Summary:** The kids are older, Jake and Seth are nine, the twins, five, and the princess is three. Edward and Bella face a situation Edward had hoped to avoid, though it was always inevitable.

 **EPOV**

As I start moving, the ruckus gets louder, so my feet move faster. When I'm close enough to see what's happening, I notice a bigger kid, and two about the same size as my boys, are faced off with the Masen crew. I can't quite make out the words yet, but it's obviously a confrontation.

Just as I'm about to grab Jared's shoulder, because he's closest, Jake scoots to the side and sticks out his foot while Seth hauls back and shoves the big kid as hard as he can. The boy falls to the ground before I can catch him.

Due to the presence of an adult, namely me, the other two kids scatter, but the big kid is already getting up. "I'm gonna make you pay, Looney Twins!" he yells and starts to charge at them, but I put my hand on his chest.

"You're going to do no such thing," I bark and turn to my boys. "I'm sure this is some kind of misunderstanding. Seth, Jake, apologize to this kid for making him fall."

They both look at me like I've lost my damn mind, but I haven't. I tense. "I said apologize," I say in the most I-mean-business-dad-like voice I possess.

Both boys give me nasty looks, but at least they mumble, "Sorry." Even though they don't look at the kid.

I look back to the little fucker that called my sons a name. "This is the end of this little altercation. I suggest you not call my sons anything other than their names from here out. Got me?" I ask, giving him a withering stare.

He bobs his head quickly. "Yes, sir."

"Good." I move my hand from his chest and wave him away. "Now get out of here." He scatters and I turn my hard gaze to the rest of the Masens. "Get moving!"

 **Escape My Love by TwiAddictAnne**

 **Summary:** Love—the purest form of emotion, and also, the most vicious form of torture. With them, it was a little bit of the both … until that moment. Now, can they escape the clutches of this cursed feeling? Most of all, will they want to?

Edward Cullen watches with ill-disguised boredom as the realtor points out all the many features of the house.

"Mr. Cullen," the woman showing too much cleavage to be appropriate says, motioning to the bedroom door. "Take a look at the décor of this room. I'm sure a man like you will appreciate the ambiance of it."

The way her eyes appraise his body doesn't escape him.

Unlike what she must expect though, Edward feels his stomach lurch at the thought of her around him in any capacity other than professional.

"Thanks, Ms. Denali," he says quickly when she starts to speak again. "Why don't you give me the floor plan so I can peruse it at my leisure? I'll inform the agency about my decision."

The smile drops from her overdrawn lips only to return momentarily. "Of course, Mr. Cullen," she agrees, offering him the thick folder held in her claw-like hands. "I'll be happy to help you decide in any way you prefer."

Before Edward has to try and rebuff her advances again, the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps reaches them. "You're already selling my home? Who bought it?" an all-too-familiar voice calls out from behind, making him turn around.

"Edward!" His name spoken in a gasp makes him stare at the girl at the door.

No, he corrects himself. Not a girl. She's a woman now.

Tanya Denali clears her throat. "Mr. Cullen, this is Isabella Swan, the daughter of the former owner."

With his eyes locked on the woman who ruined his life, Edward smiles. "I'll take the house."

 **Being Famous by Gabby1017**

 **Summary:** Edward Cullen is famous. He lives his life surrounded by bodyguards, agents, managers, and fans; all looking to take something from him. This is his life, all he has ever known, but could there be more? After a loss, he finds a box of old photographs, letters and a special letter for him that opens his mind to other possibilities.

"God, Edward, I can't believe she knew all these people," Bella gasps.

"She made most of their careers."

She grabs another letter. "Thanks for sharing dinner with me last night. I appreciate you coming out to console me. Jack just couldn't get away and I felt so all alone." Bella's eye widen. "Jesus, that was Marilyn Monroe and she was talking about JFK."

"Yeah, my mom told me she was very quiet and shy."

"I can't imagine what it would be like growing up with all these actors hanging around your house."

"My grandmother made her house a haven for these celebrities. She was loved."

Bella reads another letter, "Thank you, Miss Platt. Once again, a great review from you and I am loved again. Forever in your debt, Frank Sinatra. Wow."

"That one was my mom's," I explain. "She had many guys after her, but when she met Dad that was it."

"Why didn't you follow in their footsteps?"

I huff, "I'm better reading the lines than writing them. Besides, Mom's my best critic." I laugh.

 **Love is Easy, but Life is Complicated Outtake By 2browneyes**

 **Summary:** The time has come when a young boy will have questions difficult to answer. The truth, as horrible as it may be, needs to be told.

"Rose, hun, you know I love you, but you're going to have to sit down with the twins and tell them eventually." I hated to be the bearer of bad news.

"I know, but I thought they would be so much older. They're only thriteen. Alec is too young to know, isn't he?" She sighed.

"Yes, he's young, but I don't think just telling him that his sperm donor was a bad guy is going to work anymore." I tried to reason.

"I know…I know…I just can't do it. I can't look him in the eyes and tell him. It's so much harder with him and Alicia than when I told Emmett," Rose lamented.

"He's not going to blame you or think less of you. Which is why the questions need to be answered now, rather than letting his mind run away with him, or if he tries to go find Royce himself."

"Ugh. You're right." She groaned.

 **Damsel by Fyremasen**

 **Summary:** A true gentleman can never resist a damsel in distress.

"What?" I say when I can't handle it anymore.

He reaches a finger up and brushes it down my overheated cheek. "This is a good color on you, darlin'." He smirks and withdraws his touch, lodging his hands in his jean pockets. "So." He rocks back on his heels. "Dinner? Or you need to go home first?"

It takes me a minute to even comprehend what he's asking because I'm too distracted by his lean form. When I realize he actually wants an answer, I have to replay his words. Looking down at myself, I lift one shoulder casually. "I can just take off my lab coat, and I'm ready."

He smiles, and his green eyes sparkle. "I'm not opposed to any shedding of clothes."

My jaw drops and before I can pick it up, those long fingers are already there, pushing it closed with a wink. "Was that too much too soon?"

I pull my bottom lip between my teeth and allow my eyes to scan him from his gorgeous green eyes to his cowboy boot-clad feet. When I look at him again, I smirk. "As long as it's tit for tat, I don't mind that at all." I lift my arms and push the lab coat from my shoulders, and then, I tug the band from my hair, shaking it out to fall loose around my face. I cross my arms and lift a brow. "Well."

He stands there staring at me wide-eyed and stunned for several seconds before something seems to click. When it does, he starts tugging his plaid shirt from his jeans, his deft fingers already opening the buttons. I stand transfixed and watch as the shirt drifts open. Underneath is a white shirt, and it is not until his button up falls from his shoulders that I realize it's a wife beater.

Taut arms and strong, square shoulders fill my vision. My eyes can't help but trail over the newly exposed flesh. Muscles ripple as he moves so close I can smell his skin and says, "Is this okay." His fingers grip my hips and his head tilts down, his eyes so intent on mine that I'm not positive I could remain standing were it not for his hold.

His tongue peaks out to wet his lips, and I'm done. I can't stop myself. I lift up on my toes and push my mouth to his.

His hand leaves my hip and tangles in my hair. With lips and tongue, he kisses me like he's a dying man, and I'm his salvation.

Gasping for air, we break away from each other. His hands smooth down my hair as his forehead finds mine. Groaning he pulls away. "If we don't leave right now, I'm gonna to do something that we'd regret."

"Are you sure we'd regret it?" At this point I'm ready to throw him down right here in the parking lot.

* * *

So what are you waiting for? If you want the complete donation pieces, donate to a Domestic Violence cause and send the picture of the receipt to us!

Stay tuned for Tagged update in a little while.

Love,

Ann


	10. Chapter-9: Home

**A/N: Anyone still here? Sorry I'm super late with the update, but I hope it'll be worth the wait. One more regular chapter after this and then an epilogue to go.**

 **Also, please make sure you've read the last post on this story it's a compilation of teasers and an author's note to let you know the reason behind it.**

 **Now, without further ado, read on!**

* * *

 **Chapter-9: Home**

* * *

 _Three months later, O'Hare International Airport, Chicago._

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We're ready for our descend in O'Hare International Airport, Chicago, where the temperature is ..." I tuned out the announcement coming through the loudspeakers as I looked out of the tiny airplane window beside me.

The twinkling lights from way down below seemed to beckon me home. But was it home? No, not really. Chicago hadn't been a home to me for a long time now. For seven years to be exact. In fact, I hadn't called a place home since she left me.

 _Bella._

As the lights dimmed around me for the plane's landing, I remembered another day in the dim light of dawn. I remembered a body entwined with my own … smooth, silky skin caressing me … learning me once more. Most of all, I remember a pair of chocolate brown eyes shining with unshed tears looking into mine and a whispered promise, _I'll be waiting for you._

For a moment, my subconscious mind wondered if she'd truly be there for me. But then the cabin around me lit up and I shook myself out of my reverie.

* * *

After shuffling through immigration, I went to baggage claim to get my duffle bag. I planned on heading off to a nearby hotel and then find Bella's number in New York.

"Where are you off to, Sir?" Corporal Clearwater asked from next to me.

"I have family around here," I answered vaguely. "What about you guys?"

Clearwater smiled shyly. "I have a fiancée waiting for me in Chicago. I'll take her home to Washington and tie the knot there."

"Good for you, marine," I said with a grin. "Congratulations."

"Thanks, sir."

From a behind him came the sound of wolf-whistling which only meant Corporal Black was here too. "Woohoo! Check out that hot number in red," he said loudly, slapping a hand on Clearwater's shoulder.

"Jake," Clearwater sighed. "Have you forgotten about Leah? Your _wife_ will have your balls cut off if you go around gawking at other girl."

Not being interested in Black's pre-pubescent, and frankly, a little disturbing antics, I turned to find my bags in the conveyor system. I could hear Black speculating who the "hot number in red" might have come for.

Just as I was reaching for my duffel, I heard Black swear, "Oh shit! Look, she's coming over here." He stopped to wolf-whistle once more before continuing in a sage-like voice, "You see, Seth, the uniform has a charm, my friend. You should watch and learn."

I decided to tune out his inane dialogue and started to plan where to go next. _I could get a hotel room in the Renaissance Hotel and get mom to meet me somewhere outside_ , I thought, feeling like the confrontation with my dad could wait … maybe even for a lifetime. As my thoughts turned into the reasons behind my sudden leaving home, _she_ came into my mind as always.

 _Should I go to New York to find her?_ I wondered. _Would she want me to?_

It's the sudden silence around me that clued me in that something was wrong. Black's constant babble had stopped, and looking at him, I found him gaping at me. "What?" I asked, feeling a little weirded out by his attitude.

Both men pointed to something behind me in silence. _It's like something has dumbfounded my marines!_

"What is it, men? You're being weirder than usual ..." I was saying as I turned around before the words got stuck in my throat, rendering me speechless, not unlike my men.

There, standing before me … wearing a red wrap-around dress and smiling through her tears was none other than the reason for my living—my Bella.

One moment.

One long moment passed as we merely took each other in.

And then we reached for each other at the same time, meeting in the middle in a tight embrace. I could feel her fingers digging into my back at the force with which she clung to me and that was my reminder that I had made it back to her.

"Ms. Swan and you?"

It's Black's voice that finally made me remember that we had an audience. Pulling away from her, I kept an arm firmly wrapped around her waist, not ready to part from my girl yet, and turned to face my men. "Marines, I think you know my girlfriend, Isabella?" I said with a grin.

When they both nodded, blinking rather stupidly, Bella smiled and then kissed my jaw. "Welcome home, Sergeant. Shall we get out of here?"

She didn't have to tell me twice before I had shouldered my dufflebag and was leading her toward the exit.

* * *

About an hour later, I found myself staring at the same wrought iron gates I had known all my life. Frowning at it, I turned to the beautiful woman sitting next to me. "Bella, what is it?" I asked.

"You need to go in there, Edward," she answered softly.

"No," I replied quickly. "I really don't. This place stopped being home to me a long time ago." I leaned forward to kiss the spot where my dogtags rested against her skin and then said, " _You_ are my home now."

Her eyes looked like two shiny pools of chocolate at my declaration. She turned off her car and leaned in to kiss me sweetly before whispering, "I always will be your home, baby. Just like you're mine. But they're your parents and they love you."

I scoffed at that, but she wasn't having any of that. Taking my face in between her hands, she kissed me again, deeper and harder this time before pulling away. "They do love you, Edward. And _I_ love you. I don't want you to lose one love for the other. You deserve all the love in the world. Please come with me?"

When I looked into her eyes, shining with unshed tears, I knew my stubbornness had lost because no matter what the cost, I'd bring hell and earth together just to stop those teardrops from spilling over. "You'll be there with me?" I asked.

She squeezed my hand and replied, "Always."

* * *

 **A/N: So … share your thoughts with me and leave a review.**

 **Please consider donating to the fight against domestic violence cause if you want the first look at the first eight chapters of my new story, Escape My Love. The teasers and other information can be found in the previous chapter.**

 **See you soon.**

 **Thanks for reading.**

 **Love,**

 **Ann**


	11. Chapter-10: Prodigal

**A/N: Hi! Thank you for the massive response to the last chapter. I loved each and every review you sent my way. Thank you.**

 **So this is the last regular chapter and I'm issuing a kleenex-warning for this. You've been warned.**

* * *

 **Chapter-10: Prodigal**

* * *

When our rented car hit the driveway to the place I grew up in, it felt like walls were closing in on me. For a moment … just one moment, I contemplated begging Bella to turn the car around and drive away, not wanting to face those estranged relationships again.

But just like she always had been my rock, my Bella squeezed my thigh and said, "You've got this, Edward. Remember the little boy, Habib? Remember how you took care of him? Carlisle is like that, baby. He's alone without you by his side. He's an old man who hasn't seen his only child in years. Now it's time for you to make him feel cared for. Show him what he has been missing by pushing you away all this time."

"What if we get into a fight?" I asked, hating the way my voice cracked just a little bit with nerves.

She shrugged. "Then you'll fight. You'll fight for getting your family back together again. And I know that the Marine I love won't walk away without a victory."

It was her last words that gave me the strength to open the car door.

* * *

The first time my eyes landed on the man sitting on the porch with a newspaper in one hand and a beer in the other, I could hardly believe what I was seeing. The frail gray-haired man with worry-lines crisscrossing over his forehead and a pair of thick glasses perched on the bridge of his nose looked more like my grandfather than my father.

I felt my feet stop in their steps as it dawned on me just how much my father had aged in the last seven years. A warm soft hand clasped mine tightly, pushing away the chills from the sight before my eyes. "You've got this," she repeated in my ears like a mantra. "He loves you."

As if he could feel our gazes on him, Carlisle lifted his head from the newspaper and looked ahead at us. For a moment, our eyes held each others before he stood up from the porch swing, prompting me to walk up to him.

"Ed-ward?" The broken whisper of my father's usually commanding voice was something I never dreamed of hearing.

"Dad," I managed to rasp through the lump in my throat.

His eyes took me in slowly, his gaze travelling from tips of my combat boots to my uniform and finally came back to rest on my face.

"Is that really you, son?" There wasn't any bitterness or resentment in his voice like I had imagined. No, instead, there was amazement and relief as he reached out to place a hand on my shoulder, clasping it tight.

"Yeah, Dad. I ..." the rest of my words died in my throat as my father pulled me into a fierce hug. When I proceeded to hug him back, his arms tightened around me, making me feel like the little boy who had returned home after a day at school.

He kept murmuring "Thank God" as he held me.

When he pulled back, I could see unshed tears shining in his eyes. He tried to glower at me then. "Do you know how worried we've been, boy?" he asked me like he used to when I was a mere child. "Your mom has been worried sick and I have spent the last seven years combing through every newspaper article about this wretched war, hoping I'd never have to read your name on it."

That broke my heart all over again. Realizing it was his way of telling me how much he had missed me, I smiled at him. "I'm fine, dad."

"That you are, son," he said at last, returning that smile. "Let's go surprise your mother."

Esme, my mother, ever the perfectionist, was busy craning her head one way or the other as she tried to straighten a photo frame on the living room wall when we walked in. "Es, look who's here," Dad called out to her from the doorway.

As if in slow motion, mom turned around. Her eyes spotted me immediately. And then, she was running ... right into my arms. "Edward!" a whisper of my name was all she managed to utter before dissolving into tears.

She hugged me for a long time during which I kept murmuring reassuring things to make her believe that I really was alive and fine. It was when she let go of me that her eyes found the one who had given me the courage to face my parents … to come home.

"Bella?" she asked in a wavering voice. "You're here!"

My beautiful girl blushed, biting her lips. "Hi, Esme," she said. And letting go of me, mom tackled her then, hugging her tightly. "My sweet darling girl," she crooned. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. You brought my son back to me. Thank you so much, honey."

"I'm the one who drove him away in the first place," Bella said, her voice cracking a little with sadness.

"No," my dad contradicted her. "We did that. _I_ did that." Turning to me, he said, "Edward, son, I'm so sorry for pushing you away the way I did. I'm glad you decided to find yourself instead of following me blindly. Today I am proud to be called your father. I'm sorry for forcing you to follow my footsteps blindly."

I shook my head, wrapping an arm around my girl and smiling at my parents. "It's all in the past, Dad. What matters is that I'm home now."

Bella kissed my cheek. "We both are."

* * *

 **A/N: So … thoughts?**

 **The Epilogue shall be posted on Monday.**

 **Till then, stay smiling and keep reading.**

 **Thanks for reading.**

 **Have a great weekend. :)**

 **Ann**


	12. Chapter-11: Epilogue

**A/N: This is it, guys! The end of the road for this one. So … enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter-11: Epilogue**

* * *

 _Late Autumn, San Diego, California, Two Years Later (Same time as the Prologue)_

* * *

"Do I get a kiss too?" a soft voice called from the nursery door.

Looking up from where my baby girl slept peacefully, I saw my beautiful wife standing there, a smile gracing her full lips.

I leaned down to place one more kiss to my little girl's temple, inhaling her purely innocent baby smell that kept my nightmares at bay one more time before walking up to Bella. "Do you want a kiss, Mrs. Cullen?" I whispered in her ear as I pulled her to my chest.

She nodded slowly. "For a start."

I couldn't help but grin. I liked the idea of starting with a kiss. Closing the nursery door behind me, I picked her up bridal style in my arms, making her giggle softly. I couldn't help but steal a few kisses in the short walk from the nursery to our bedroom.

When I reached the bed, I laid her down carefully in the middle. For a moment, I simply stare at her, taking in the way the my shirt from the night before accentuated her body, making her the most delectable creature in my world.

She held a hand out to me in a silent request for me to join her and asked, "What are you doing over there?"

"Wondering," I replied, climbing onto the bed then.

"About what?"

I stopped to place a kiss right between her collarbones and then said, "About how I got so lucky."

"Oh you're about to get luckier, baby," she responded with a wink.

The sound of our laughter was muted only by the pressing of our mouths together. For one long moment, we kissed, breathing each other in and then, she tackled me, flipping me over so she was on top of me.

The suddenness of the movement stunned me for a few seconds and that was enough for her to discard my pants and the shirt she was wearing. And then, she was kissing me everywhere she could reach, as if erasing every battlescar I had gotten during my seven years of service with her lips like she had done countless times before. It wasn't until she bit down a little on my shoulder that I knew what she was doing. _My minxy wife was marking me!_

"Are you trying to give me a hickey, Mrs. Cullen?" I asked, suppressing a groan of pleasure as I felt our middles touch.

"Maybe," she said with a sly smile.

It was the sight of my dog tag resting in between her full and perfect breasts that made me lose control. Sitting up so that our faces were impossibly closer, I kissed her lips, her throat, down to her breasts and right over her heart. "You like to mark me as yours, don't you?" I asked, my lips brushing her nipples, making it pebble with my breath.

She moaned, her fingers tangling with the hair at the back of my head. "I want you to see that mark and remember who you belong to," she panted. "You're _mine._ "

"As you are mine," I murmured before taking a nipple in between my lips and sucking on it.

"Shit!" she cried out. "Edward!"

I felt myself harden at the sound of her voice calling my name and it was only a few moments later that I found my heaven inside my lovely bride's body. As she moved with me, we kissed again and again, our tongues danced to a tune as old as time just like our bodies until we both reached the edge and took the leap together.

As we laid in each other's arms, she leaned in to kiss my lips. "I love you, First Sergeant Cullen."

"As I love you, my Bella," I replied as I stood up, getting ready to go to the academy. In my Bella, I had found my life, my wife and my true calling as an Marine Instructor. Most importantly, in the way she loved me … tagged me as hers, I had found my _home_.

* * *

 **A/N: For the last time on this little journey, share your thoughts with me and leave a review?**

 **As always, I have a few note of thanks to address. First, to Shae Maen, my twify. I hope you like your birthday pressie, babes. I know it took too long to finish, but I do hope it was worth it.**

 **Second, to all the soldiers all over the world who risk their lives to make sure that we, the civilians, sleep safely tucked in our beds every night.**

 **And finally, to you, my lovely readers. Thank you for being patient with my erratic posting schedule. Thank you for taking the time to read this little story of mine.**

 **To my readers from Revised Curriculum, the next update will be posted this Friday. So stay tuned. ;)**

 **Until next time.**

 **Thank you.**

 **Love you all.**

 **Ann**


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